MORPHOLOGIC STRUCTURE OF BILE CANALICULI AFTER BILE-DUCT LIGATION IN THE RAT - A TIME-COURSE STUDY

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 106  (9) , 464-467
Abstract
Changes in bile canaliculi (BC) after bile duct ligation (BDL) are heterogeneous throughout the liver lobule. Male Wistar rats were killed 5 h, 20h, 4 days or 8 days after BDL and BC were counted according to their shape (1, normal; 2, elongated with microvilli; 3, dilated, devoid of microvilli or 4, filled with blebs). Compared with controls, the number of BC doubled after BDL and cell size descreased. Five h after BDL, < 10% of the BC were of type 3. As time elapsed, the ratios of types 3 and 4 increased; their combined ratio always was below 50% and remained stable between days 4 and 8. Bilirubin levels peaked between days 2 and 4, then remained stable. The heterogeneous changes in BC could be explained by the heterogeneous tightness of tight junctions. Decrease in cell size and increase in the size of BC branches could favor contact between bile and blood.

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit: